Link? I've heard many rumours about that ceremony but never wanted to say anything.

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Gangland is a paid site. Crap, I've never seen them cover anything but Philly and NYC. Very cool. I subscribe so here's a copy&paste. (EDIT: Looks like its a guest column from Burnstein).





Rudy The Chin Returns To The Fray In Chicago; Big Mike Spano's Plans Not Clear Yet

Rudy FrattoIt seems that stretches behind bars in institutions run by the federal Bureau of Prisons have had completely different effects on two rough and tumble septuagenarian Windy City wiseguys who've been snared on racketeering charges — Rudy (The Chin) Fratto and Michael (Big Mike) Spano.

The 70-year-old Fratto, who became a "made man" in the Chicago Outfit during a Father's Day induction ceremony in 1998, was energized by the experience, has been using it to show his merit as a stand-up guy, and has been wearing the stint behind bars as a badge of honor.

The 73-year-old Spano, on the other hand, has been spreading the word that he has had some life-altering epiphanies while a guest of the BOP and has decided to change his ways and say so long to his mafia ties upon his release.

Fratto, who was sprung from a federal lock up in November after a one-year stretch for construction bid-rigging, is back on the prowl in his old Elmwood Park neighborhood, reestablishing his presence in the local rackets, according to inside sources.

Fratto was mentored in the ways of the mob by Outfit don John (Johnny No Nose) DiFronzo, the power holder at the top of the Chicago hierarchy for the past 25 years.

Rudy the Chin, who has a pronounced reputation for violence, has been identified as a suspect in numerous criminal acts of violence over the years, including murder and attempted murder. But besides the bid-rigging charge and a one-year prison term for federal income tax evasion in the late 2000s, he's been able to stay out of the can.

Michael SpanoIn his bid-rigging case, Fratto was caught bragging in a tape recorded conversation, "I'm the boss of this area around here, no one else." He avoided a harsher penalty and additional years tacked onto his most-recent 12-month bit, however, because the judge in his case, U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber, claimed that federal prosecutors couldn't link Fratto's reputed mob status to the bid-rigging.

On the other side of the equation, Spano's been in the clink for a dozen years, serving a lengthy sentence for government corruption, and is slated to come out in June 2015.

Unlike Fratto, Big Mike is telling people close to him that his career in the Outfit is over and when he returns home next summer, he'll be officially giving up his place in the Chicago Outfit, and will be retiring.

During his days on the street, Spano rose to capo of Cicero, a town right outside Chicago that is rich in gangland tradition, dating back to the 1920s when Al (Scarface) Capone set up an outpost there during Prohibition. Spano was busted in the early 2000s, alongside then Cicero Mayor Betty Loren-Maltese, and seven others on charges of bilking the city of Cicero out of $12 million dollars, siphoning it from a municipal insurance fund.

Groomed in the ways of the underworld by highly-respected Cicero crew boss Ernest (Rocky) Infelice (a former paratrooper in the Marines), Big Mike is notoriously sly and both underworld and law enforcement sources view his declaration of retirement with a skeptical eye. Some see it as an attempt that many convicted wiseguys use to divert the feds' attention away from them when they get out of prison.

Joseph MerlinoThe same tactics have been employed with varying degrees of success by currently imprisoned Outfit consigliere Joseph (Joey the Clown) Lombardo and flashy Philadelphia mob icon Joseph (Skinny Joey) Merlino, who was released from a 12-year prison stint a couple of years ago and currently lives in Florida. Depending on whom you ask, Merlino is either enjoying an early retirement by the beach in Miami or running things in Philly from afar.

While Spano might be having his intentions questioned as he prepares to descend back on the Windy City from his prison cell in Milan, Michigan a year from now, Fratto's intentions are never questioned by those familiar with him.

"Rudy has wanted to be a gangster since the day he could talk," said Chicago mob insider and blogger Joe Fosco. "That was always his dream, he doesn't know anything else. He's dangerous, a killer and he enjoys trading on that reputation."

That may be a misprint. And the one I've heard about was actually in 99/2000 and was held by Chinatown

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Fosco said Magniffichi mentioned that the last one he knew about was around then somewhere down south.

Fratto was made in 1988 with Peter DiFronzo, Gerry Scarpelli, Hatch Chiaramonti and Jimmy DiForti. I think it was a misprint.

Is that the Como inn ceremony? Any truth to Fosco saying it was Fratto's mom begging Jack Cerone to make him that got it done?

Yes & it makes a lot of sense, considering that crew had Its right arm chopped off with the disunion of Frank Calabrese's crew.

The other one that everyone brings up is the one Cicero (allegedly) held in 02/03/04, somewhere around there.

I wouldn't be surprised if Marco D'Amico & Pete DiFronzo made guys into the Elmwood Park crew over the past decade.

I'm pretty sure Al Vena & Chris Spina aren't qualified to make new members. There aren't really any racketeers in that crew anymore, just individual criminals for hire.

Who was rumored to have been made in that group?

I dunno who knows, Rudy Fratto is a hoodlum that successfully killed people and extorted businesses without getting caught, that's why he or anyone else is made into the Mafia. Fosco is an idiot, the whole thing is a soap opera to him that he wishes he could be an actor on.

I don't know for sure. Several guys who I've heard that will remain nameless. In their 50s at that point in time.

Second part of the article interests me as well, I know a few guys on here think Spano's done when he gets out of the can. Thoughts anyone?

Dino Marino was likely made during that ceremony.

In all honesty, regarding the modern Outfit, it's probably run by four guys: Marco Damico, Sol DeLaurentis, Frank Caruso Jr, and Chris Spina to a much lesser extent, with Jimmy Inendino & John DiFronzo assuming Accardo during his later years type roles. "Senior advisors" if you will. I could be wrong, but that's the way I see it.

I also think it operates more like the five families than most people would like to admit, in the sense that each crew boss has the power to make his own members without having to have it held & sanctioned by a defacto top boss. I personally believe DiFronzo began that trend in the early 90s after the Cicero crew got crippled. It makes it more difficult for feds to discern who is being made & who is not, because there is no one top boss sanctioning these ceremonies & Keeping a single book.

I think people want to be able to fit the Outfit in a single tight, neat little package, and I just don't believe it works that way.

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@huronsocial


do u have any clue why nobody told the heights to stop killing each other in the 70s/80s?

they'd probably still have a crew without the murders even with the 90s indictments

I agree with that assessment on separate families. They share rackets just like they do in NYC but the formal structure is completely different than it was years ago.

I had heard the entire Spano family was out of the rackets - Big Mike, Little Mike, Paul - even Chris Rowlan. I think the Cicero crew is a lot different now with Jimmy I running things with Solly D and Sally C working under him.

Great to see Capeci finally acknowledged the Chicago Outfit. It was amazing he said nothing about Family Secrets.

Yeah I agree. Was just thinking how gangland was always NYC and occasionally Philly. Good to see some Chicago stuff getting written.

Huron, you don't think Vena is running Grand Avenue? Spina always just seemed like a gopher.

What the heck is that capeci goof's deal with penning articles on Chicago? I've always wondered that. I don't know much about him.

I dunno. Spina is a wealthy businessman & intelligent guy, but not a tough guy by any means. Albie Vena is just a hitter with a fancy title now. He commands more street respect but isn't the brightest crayon. It could be either of them.

How so? Any thoughts on the theory in that article that its just talk to throw off law enforcement?

Btw, Capeci didn't write the article, it's Burnstein. Capeci has always been NYC centric...with Philly as a side note.

I think Inendino is more affiliated with the South Side now.

I definitely wouldn't say he is. When he got out the joint, he went with them just because his crew were all locked up. But now that Cicero is back on top, I think that's where he is. Sarno is married into his family & he spends most of his time around those guys. He came up in the Ferriola crew and that's who runs the show now so why wouldn't he be with them.

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Capeci obviously let Scott be a guest writer on Detroit and Chicago (the Detroit part of the article wasn't posted here) the same way he's let Anastasia be a guest writer on Philadelphia.

Makes sense to me, thanks for the input.

HSAC:

What is with Fosco's insistence that Marco isn't made?

I have no idea, it would just seem totally strange for Marco not to be made.

He had a "source" (not Magnafichi, IIRC) that swore up and down that Marco wasn't made.